Ventilation Inspections Will Begin In All NYC Classrooms: Mayor

NEW YORK CITY — Teams of inspectors will comb over New York City classrooms to make sure ventilation systems and air flow meet standards to slow the coronavirus’ spread, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.

De Blasio said the inspections will wrap up Sept. 1, just over a week before students are expected to return to in-person classroom.

“They’re already out in the field checking,” he said. “I want to be clear about this — not just every school. Every classroom. Professional engineers and other experts looking at every classroom going through the same checklist making sure they’re ready.”

The inspection announcement is the latest measure de Blasio and school officials have highlighted as the Sept. 10 back-to-school date looms — and parents and educators increasingly voice safety concerns about returning amid the pandemic.

Chancellor Richard Carranza said teams will be made up of independent experts and engineers. Each will have a checklist covering room size and occupancy, whether windows can open and examinations of supply and exhaust fans, he said.

“Each action team will give us their honest professional opinion and they will report back to the Department of Education on which spaces have a clean bill of health and which have issues that must be addressed,” he said.

Carranza said their findings will determine three things: if a classroom is ready to go, needs some adjustments before students can return or must be taken “offline” completely while extensive repairs are made.

He said the DOE will start posting inspection results later this week.

Several reporters asked de Blasio why these inspections are being undertaken so close to the return of school.

School workers have been looking at classrooms all summer, de Blasio said.

“It makes sense to do the inspections as we get closer after all of that work is done,” he said.